System and Method for Managing Multiple Message Format Communication

1. A method of handling messages, the method comprising: receiving a first message from a first source with a message handling system, the first message having a first message format and a header, the message handling system comprising a first node, the first node comprising a microprocessor and a first memory operably coupled thereto; wherein the first message is to be sent to a destination application with which a second message format is associated, the destination application comprising a second node, the second node comprising a second memory; and wherein the first message format is incompatible with the second message format and thus the first message is incompatible with, and is unable to be received by, the destination application; placing the first message on a first queue stored in the first node; creating a second message with the first node so that the second message is associated with the second message format and thus the second message is compatible with, and is able to be received by, the destination application, wherein creating the second message comprises: processing the first message with an inbound message handler stored in the first node and operably coupled to the first queue, comprising: accessing a routing and formatting table stored in the first node and operably coupled to the inbound message handler; gathering routing and formatting information from the routing and formatting table; and placing the routing and formatting information in the header of the first message; and transforming the first message with a message transformation engine stored in the first node and operably coupled to the inbound message handler, comprising: inspecting the header of the first message; accessing a format rules repository stored in the first node and operably coupled to the message transformation engine; gathering at least one format rule defining the second message format from the format rules repository, the at least one format rule being dependent upon at least the routing and formatting information in the header of the first message, the routing and formatting information in the header of the first message indicating the at least one format rule and thus the second message format necessary for compatibility with the destination application; and transforming the first message in accordance with the at least one format rule to thereby create the second message, the second message having the second message format that is defined by the at least one format rule and thus by the routing and formatting information in the header of the first message so that the second message is compatible with, and is able to be received by, the destination application; placing the second message on a second queue stored in the first node and operably coupled to the message transformation engine; and sending the second message to the destination application.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: augmenting the second message with data associated with a second source; and retrieving the data from a third memory separate from the second source.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: augmenting the second message with data associated with a second source; testing the availability of the data; retrieving the data from the second source; and storing the data in a database.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: augmenting the second message with data associated with a second source; and periodically accessing predetermined data in the second source and storing the predetermined data in a database.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: augmenting the second message with data associated with a second source; determining a location of the data; and accessing the data from the location.

6. The method of the claim 5 , wherein the location is the second source.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein transforming the first message with the message transformation engine further comprises: accessing a database through a data access layer, the database and the data access layer being stored in the first node, the data access layer being operably coupled between the message transformation engine and the database; determining whether augmentation data is present in the database; and if the augmentation data is present in the database, then augmenting the second message with the augmentation data before placing the second message on the second queue.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first source is a source application comprising a third node, the third node comprising a third memory; wherein the method further comprises determining whether the first message is authenticated before placing the first message on the first queue, comprising verifying that the source application is authorized to access the message handling system; and wherein transforming the first message with the message transformation engine further comprises determining whether augmentation of the second message is required before determining whether the augmentation data is present in the database.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the source application is an on-demand application and the first message is an on-demand message having a first protocol associated with the on-demand application; wherein an on-demand adapter is stored in the first node of the message handling system and is operably coupled to the inbound message handler and to the message transformation engine; and wherein receiving the first message from the first source comprises: receiving the first message from the on-demand application through the on-demand adapter; and converting the first protocol into a second protocol with the on-demand adapter, the second protocol being associated with the first queue.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the source application is a publishing application; and wherein the method further comprises: determining whether data from the publishing application should be stored in the database; and if the data from the publishing application should be stored in the database, then storing the data from the publishing application in the database.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the first source is an event registry stored in the first node; wherein the method further comprises determining whether it is time for a message event; and wherein the first message is received and placed on the first queue after it is determined that it is time for the message event.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first source is a source application comprising a third node, the third node comprising a third memory; wherein the first message includes data; wherein the second message includes the data; and wherein the method further comprises storing the data included in the second message in a database after placing the second message on the second queue, the database being stored in the first node and operably coupled to the message transformation engine.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the source application is a flight operation system comprising: a flight planning functional component stored in the third node for processing flight planning information for flights of an airline, the flights employing aircraft; a maintenance and engineering functional component stored in the third node for managing the maintenance of the aircraft; a crews functional component stored in the third node for managing crew assignments for the flights of the airline; a cargo functional component stored in the third node for managing cargo tracking of cargo on the flights of the airline; an interface functional component stored in the third node for managing the interface between at least the flight planning, maintenance and engineering, crews and cargo functional components; an application support functional component stored in the third node; and a dispatch control functional component stored in the third node, each of the flight planning, maintenance and engineering, crews, cargo, interface and application support functional components being operably coupled to the dispatch control functional component.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first source is selected from the group consisting of an on-demand application, a scheduled event indicator, a publishing application, and an airline flight operations system.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the destination application is selected from the group consisting of an on-demand application, a subscriber application, and a consumer application.

16. A computer-readable medium that is non-transitory, the computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for handling messages, the sequences of instructions comprising: instructions for receiving a first message from a first source with a message handling system, the first message having a first message format and a header, the message handling system comprising a first node, the first node comprising a microprocessor and a first memory operably coupled thereto; wherein the first message is to be sent to a destination application with which a second message format is associated, the destination application comprising a second node, the second node comprising a second memory; and wherein the first message format is incompatible with the second message format and thus the first message is incompatible with, and is unable to be received by, the destination application; instructions for placing the first message on a first queue stored in the first node; instructions for creating a second message with the first node so that the second message is associated with the second message format and thus the second message is compatible with, and is able to be received by, the destination application, wherein instructions for creating the second message comprise: instructions for processing the first message with an inbound message handler stored in the first node and operably coupled to the first queue, comprising: instructions for accessing a routing and formatting table stored in the first node and operably coupled to the inbound message handler; instructions for gathering routing and formatting information from the routing and formatting table; and instructions for placing the routing and formatting information in the header of the first message; and instructions for transforming the first message with a message transformation engine stored in the first node and operably coupled to the inbound message handler, comprising: instructions for inspecting the header of the first message; instructions for accessing a format rules repository stored in the first node and operably coupled to the message transformation engine; instructions for gathering at least one format rule defining the second message format from the format rules repository, the at least one format rule being dependent upon at least the routing and formatting information in the header of the first message, the routing and formatting information in the header of the first message indicating the at least one format rule and thus the second message format necessary for compatibility with the destination application; and instructions for transforming the first message in accordance with the at least one format rule to thereby create the second message, the second message having the second message format that is defined by the at least one format rule and thus by the routing and formatting information in the header of the first message so that the second message is compatible with, and is able to be received by, the destination application; instructions for placing the second message on a second queue stored in the first node and operably coupled to the message transformation engine; and instructions for sending the second message to the destination application.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first source comprises an on-demand application.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first source comprises a scheduled event indicator.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first source comprises a publishing application.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the destination application comprises an on-demand application.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the destination application comprises multiple applications.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the destination application comprises at least one subscriber application.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the destination application comprises at least one consumer application.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first message comprises a request to gather information.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first message comprises a request to deliver published messages.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first message comprises a request to deliver scheduled messages.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first source comprises an airline flight operations system.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise: instructions for augmenting the second message with data associated with a second source; instructions for testing the availability of the data in a third memory; instructions for accessing the data from the second source when the data is not available in the third memory; and instructions for storing the data in the third memory.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions for transforming the first message with the message transformation engine further comprise: instructions for accessing a database through a data access layer, the database and the data access layer being stored in the first node, the data access layer being operably coupled between the message transformation engine and the database; instructions for determining whether augmentation data is present in the database; and instructions for if the augmentation data is present in the database, then augmenting the second message with the augmentation data before placing the second message on the second queue.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein the first source is a source application comprising a third node, the third node comprising a third memory; wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise instructions for determining whether the first message is authenticated before placing the first message on the first queue, comprising instructions for verifying that the source application is authorized to access the message handling system; and wherein the instructions for transforming the first message with the message transformation engine further comprise instructions for determining whether augmentation of the second message is required before determining whether the augmentation data is present in the database.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the source application is an on-demand application and the first message is an on-demand message having a first protocol associated with the on-demand application; wherein an on-demand adapter is stored in the first node of the message handling system and is operably coupled to the inbound message handler and to the message transformation engine; and wherein instructions for receiving the first message from the first source comprise: instructions for receiving the first message from the on-demand application through the on-demand adapter; and instructions for converting the first protocol into a second protocol with the on-demand adapter, the second protocol being associated with the first queue.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the source application is a publishing application; and wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise: instructions for determining whether data from the publishing application should be stored in the database; and instructions for if the data from the publishing application should be stored in the database, then storing the data from the publishing application in the database.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 wherein the first source is an event registry stored in the first node; wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise instructions for determining whether it is time for a message event; and wherein the first message is received and placed on the first queue after it is determined that it is time for the message event.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the first source is a source application comprising a third node, the third node comprising a third memory; wherein the first message includes data; wherein the second message includes the data; and wherein the sequences of instructions further comprise instructions for storing the data included in the second message in a database after placing the second message on the second queue, the database being stored in the first node and operably coupled to the message transformation engine.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the source application is a flight operation system comprising: a flight planning functional component stored in the third node for processing flight planning information for flights of an airline, the flights employing aircraft; a maintenance and engineering functional component stored in the third node for managing the maintenance of the aircraft; a crews functional component stored in the third node for managing crew assignments for the flights of the airline; a cargo functional component stored in the third node for managing cargo tracking of cargo on the flights of the airline; an interface functional component stored in the third node for managing the interface between at least the flight planning, maintenance and engineering, crews and cargo functional components; an application support functional component stored in the third node; and a dispatch control functional component stored in the third node, each of the flight planning, maintenance and engineering, crews, cargo, interface and application support functional components being operably coupled to the dispatch control functional component.